The World Wide Web and Internet, in general, have created a completely new venue in which to obtain information, purchase goods and services, and interact with other network users. Accordingly, many sources of products and services have established web sites containing information about products, services and available information. A number of commercially available software applications, e.g. web browsers, executable on a conventional computer architecture enable users to connect to the Internet and provide a graphic user interface and appropriate functionality for locating and exploring “websites”. Examples of such commercially available browsers include Netscape Navigator, commercially available from America On Line, Inc., or Internet Explorer, commercially available from Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. Websites typically comprise a server operatively coupled to the Internet, the server having one or more “pages” which may be explored by a user using the web browser application.
Using a web browser, computer shoppers have the ability to access and purchase products and services from far reaching locations, including international locations. In order to purchase a product, the shopper accesses the web site server of a vendor, selects a product, provides payment, typically in the form of credit card information, and provides delivery instructions to the vendor.
The purchase of goods and services over the Internet, referred to hereafter as, “eCommerce”, has become very popular recently. In many instances, eCommerce vendors try to emulate normal retail commerce with varying degrees of success. For example, gift-buying via eCommerce has failed to emulate normal retail commerce as a result of its inherent lack of personalization. In the real world, when giving a gift, a person typically purchases a product as a gift. In addition, the person may purchase a card to help express his or her thoughts about the gift or the occasion. Such cards usually contain personal, handwritten messages and are packaged along with the gift for simultaneous presentation to the recipient.
It is possible to purchase products or services as gifts from the websites of eCommerce vendors and have them sent to a recipient's address. It is also possible to purchase electronic cards over the Internet to be delivered either to the recipient's e-mail address or printed in hard copy form and delivered to the recipient's postal address. However, no known service or facility-exists which enables an eCommerce shopper to purchase a gift over the Internet and concurrently select and personalize a greeting card to be packaged or shipped along with the gift. Some companies do provide a limited selection hard copy cards that maybe shipped with a gift, similar to the note cards which accompany floral deliveries.
In addition, current on-line electronic greeting card services, such as those offered by Hallmark, Inc., City, State, or American Greetings Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, enable users to select a card and customize the card by entering text into a dialog box via the webserver graphic user interface. Such services do not enable the user to add handwritten notes, graphics, photographs, or other customizations to the card. These services do not allow the user to decide where the text should go, what font, color, size, etc. should be used for the text.
Further, many greeting cards are sent for specific occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Accordingly, the purchase and sending of the card is time sensitive in order for the card to have the most effect. If the recipient of the card is in another country, cost and lead time to send the card may increase substantially.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system which enables an eCommerce shopper to select, customize and transmit greeting cards contemporaneously with the selection of a gift from an eCommerce vendor, and to enable simultaneous shipment of the customized greeting card with the gift.
A further need exists for a system by which eCommerce shoppers may select a card and customize the card meaningfully by selecting the style, size, color and type of font to sign the card and are restricted only by the space on the card and not by a random word count designated by the card vendor.
A further need exists for a system and method in which eCommerce shoppers may create a card meaningfully by adding graphic data, including possibly handwritten notes, photographs and scanned data to the card.
A further need exists for a system and method in which the card and the user's customizations to the card may be viewed by the purchaser in a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) format while on-line.
A further need exists for a system and method in which greeting cards customized over the Internet may be viewed in a WYSIWYG format and either printed and mailed from a central distribution center or transmitted over a computer network to the distribution center of an eCommerce vendor for printing and shipment with a gift.
A further need exists for a system and method in which customized greeting cards could be shipped across the Internet and printed in other countries or in other regions of the same country thereby decreasing delivery time and reducing postage and handling costs.